Another Dwarf Fortress thread

[Loyal]

To keep the LP thread from getting too cluttered with miscellaneous DF chat.

I recently had an interesting encounter with a pair of Goblin thieves who failed miserably immediately after being discovered. The first was a snatcher, looking to make off with a child who was deconstructing a wall...

http://i49.tinypic.com/5bog8p.png

...who stumbled into a conveniently-located cage trap immediately after shanking the poor, terrified child.

As for the second thief...

http://i49.tinypic.com/icit0m.png

Well, the less said about him, the better.

[Satan's Onion]

...
EDIT How the hell did this end up in Books and Comics? Can someone move this to games?

got it!

[Ryong]

Man, I started a new Fortress because my old one was badly planned and now the new one I started building a room complex and all that and it was going pretty well...I had enough rooms done for some 14 dwarves...First wave of migrants got the population to 24, so I started making some more furniture...By the time I had enough for 22 rooms I got 12 more migrants and I have to start appointing people to do things and whatnot and now I need a jail and one of my dwarves entered a strange mood and wants...Shells and plant fiber cloth. I got none of either stored. I know how to obtain both, but shells will probably take a while since I've no fisherdwarves and I'm not in the right season to plant the seeds to make plant fiber cloth. I'm screwed.

[Arhra]

I found a map that has magma, flux and water, plus a decent number of trees.

Slight problem that it is also an aquifer.

Still, I have now tamed the mighty aquifer and there is a glorious expanse of basalt beneath. Found magnetite right away and there's marble a few Z-levels deeper.

Only problem is those damn skeletal camels...

They haunt my dreams.

Still, hopefully I will find that vent and then the construction of my glorious magma weapon can begin!

[Loyal]

For some reason, the montainhome has seen fit to assign me a liason who is missing a foot and an eye. I need to remember to look this guy up in Legends sometime and see what happened.

He keeps falling unconscious before any meetings can be conducted.

[edit] And falling down stairs when he does so. Perhaps I should move the mayor's office a few floors up.

[edit]Aaaand it's a moot point. He went berserk and was cut down by the military units patrolling around him, about five steps from the map edge - ironically enough, their purpose was to protect him from any goblin ambushes.

[Melfice]

So, I started on a new map.

The top two layers were practically floating on water. Seriously.
Of course, I forgot to take a screenshot. >__<
The only thing keeping the layers from collapsing in the water, it seems, was one magma-pipe.

There was nowhere to dig further down.

[01d55]

So, I started on a new map.

The top two layers were practically floating on water. Seriously.
Of course, I forgot to take a screenshot. >__<
The only thing keeping the layers from collapsing in the water, it seems, was one magma-pipe.

There was nowhere to dig further down.

The obvious solution is to breach the pipe, creating a layer of obsidian which can be dug through.

[Melfice]

The obvious solution is to breach the pipe, creating a layer of obsidian which can be dug through.

I thought of that too, but that backfired when I found the pipe being on a lower level than the water. ¬___¬
I can still kick myself for not saving the map, however. It seems pretty unique/it might be a bug.

[Malek]

The entire layer was just water? It wasn't an aquifer? I wonder if it could be dealt with in the same way?

[Melfice]

The entire layer was just water? It wasn't an aquifer? I wonder if it could be dealt with in the same way?

Might've been an aquifer, but it was over the entire map. I did sample digs everywhere, and everywhere turned blue.

[Loyal]

Yeah, that's an aquifier.

There's supposed to be a "dry" spot around where the magma pipe is, where you can safely dig through till you're below the aquifier layers, but I dunno how it works if the top layer of the pipe is itself below the aquifier.

[Melfice]

Yeah, that's an aquifier.

There's supposed to be a "dry" spot around where the magma pipe is, where you can safely dig through till you're below the aquifier layers, but I dunno how it works if the top layer of the pipe is itself below the aquifier.

Oh, bloody hell.
I've been on maps where there, supposedly, was an aquifer before and never had any problems... but that's just silly.

[Loyal]

There are lots of ways to deal with them, but all are terribly annoying and most require some significant prep time. I'd sooner deal with carp than an aquifier anyday.

The only positive side to them is an infinite water source wherever you dig, and having an unlimited drainage capacity (to the point where it's possible to siphon an entire ocean into a few aquifier tiles).

[edit]Ho'shit dragon

[Arhra]

So what insane constructions are people coming up with?

Right now I'm just putting in the beginnings of my magma managament infrastructure. I've got an aquifer which is both convenient and annoying. It makes obsidian farms easy to set up, although now I'm having slight issues in getting the dwarves to use the obsidian. I also almost overfilled the farm so I had some rather desperate wall construction and water pumping to contain the burning blood of the earth.

It seems I do have a deposit of bauxite but, alas, it is a little hard to get to. Fortunately I need to dot the place with aquifer bypasses anyway, for a future project.

Right now I'm channeling a pipe and filling it with obsidian to seal out the aquifer so I can pump magma from my magma vent into the magma pool, converting it into a giant storage reservoir. The path's all set up, I just need to get one of my lazy-ass architects to finish putting in the magma pump.

From there, oh what fun I shall have!

I have many prototypes to build.

A device to flood with magma from below, a device to rain fire from the heavens and two concepts for perpetual, self reloading and fully automated cave-in generators which may or may not work.

Also, lava curtains.

And a 10+ Z-level tall pyramid made of cast obsidian and plated in glass. Complete with tomb, trap filled catacombs and it might also vent lava from its sides.

[Sithdarth]

Goddamn fucking immigrants. Every time I figure I'm just about where I can concentrate on something other than beds my population damn near doubles. Well its better than it was during my first immigration. Jumping from 9 to over 30 isn't fun. Then I jumped to 50 and just now to over 70. I'm contemplating getting everyone inside the mote and drawing up the drawbridge for awhile. It would certainly stop the thieves and the ever present marauding monkeys.

[Ryong]

I have a plan for when I actually have some time: First, I'm going to find a river. Then, I'm going to wait 'til the water freezes - or try to make a dam - and then, I'm going to put a tower on the other side of the river. I'll then make it so the first floor of the tower is partially grated so you can see the water run below it and then I'll make a giant self-powering reverse waterfall that shoots water from the sides of the tower when a lever is pressed. Eventually I could try to make a moat around the tower that only fills - with LAVA - when a lever is pressed and then when everything attacking me fell in it I'll activate the water and then get obsidian. It'll be awesome.

[Wigmund]

It would certainly stop the thieves and the ever present marauding monkeys.

The monkeys can burn in hell.

[Sithdarth]

The monkeys can burn in hell.

I find that covering my entrance with cage traps and stationing guards there has pretty much stopped the monkeys. First couple of seasons before I had a moat and a small standing army were hell. They came in groups of 6-7 and just completely wrecked everything they could get their hands on.

[Loyal]

Having a small standing anything is usually good enough as long as it's in plain sight. Monkeys will typically bug out if they see any dwarves/dogs/etc in the way. Kobolds are a little more persistent but will also leave without incident (Usually (http://i48.tinypic.com/aes9ya.png)) when discovered.

[Sithdarth]

So first siege finally happened. It lasted about two seconds once the dwarfs meet the goblins. Granted I activated my full force of 9 Champion Wrestlers, 4 Elite Wrestlers, and 9 Wrestlers. Only about 4 of the champions and 2-3 normal wrestlers got in on the action and they decimated a force of mace goblins about twice there size. Currently they have one trapped at the bottom of a pond still alive. I don't know how it hasn't drowned yet.

Edit: Oh and sadly a few of the champions lost the babies they were carrying. That'll teach my army to fornicate on duty.

[Ryong]

Okay, I have a crazy idea. I want to build a fortress consisting of a tower. It'll have farms around it, then a moat with some sort of bridge. Every dwarf but the miners live in the tower ( or maybe I'll make them live fairly close to the ground ) and I want to have alternating floors with workshops/stockpiles and rooms. It doesn't seem so hard, except for the absurd amounts of stone I'll need. But here's the kicker: I want to also add a permanent waterfall in the middle of the tower. I was thinking of ways to get the water go up, but I can't design that part. At all. Any help?

[Oron]

But here's the kicker: I want to also add a permanent waterfall in the middle of the tower. I was thinking of ways to get the water go up, but I can't design that part. At all. Any help?

This is all I could think of for doing that: http://dwarffortresswiki.net/index.php/Pump

The easiest way to do this is to stack the pumps directly on top of each other in alternating directions, also known as a pump stack. The first one pumps North to South, the one directly above it pumps South to North, the next one above that pumps North to South again, ad infinitum. Make sure to fully surround the area the water will fill with walls, including diagonals, or water will leak out very fast.

Adjacent pumps automatically transmit mechanical power. If the pumps are "open" (that is, built on channeled tiles) to each other across z-levels, then a stack only requires (sufficient) power to be transferred to one pump. All others will be powered by association with the first. You can transmit power to each pump by simply channeling out the floor at the front (aka output side).

Solution for a freestanding tower - fire escape! You can also consolidate the up and downstairs into a single up/down stair tile. Just build these on top of each other, flipping horizontally each time. Minimal yet aesthetic multi-level water pumping.

There's a diagram on the site.

[Arhra]

Hmm, I've almost finished my first weapon.

It's basically a very tall tower ringed by a number of 10x10 retractable bridges that act as a reservoir. While I pull the switch, it can dump 600 tiles worth of molten rock on the poor fools standing beneath it.

To make it appropriately dwarvish, I've named it Flamecascades the Epiphany of Burning.

It can actually be fired right now - the only part to be finished is a safety device.

The safety device dumps the same amount of water on top of the lava.

I hope the next siege appears on that edge of the map!

EDIT: I have tested it.

http://i51.photobucket.com/albums/f362/Arhra/Flamecascade.png

[Sithdarth]

I've got a kitten breeding pit setup. If all goes well I should have more than enough material for the most incredible mega project in dwarf fortress history. The only problem will be getting the kittens and such out of the pit without causing a kitten flood.

[Arhra]

I should really do something with my cage full of cats.

I've just been shoving them in there as the kittens get born.

I had to cull my livestock too - left 'em wandering around and had over a hundred animals clogging up the place.

[Marc v4.0]

a hundred delicious meals clogging up the place.


Now you're thinking with Dwarves

[Melfice]

I should really do something with my cage full of cats.

I've just been shoving them in there as the kittens get born.

I had to cull my livestock too - left 'em wandering around and had over a hundred animals clogging up the place.

The only animals in my game given free reign are the dogs.
Cats, cows, horses, whatevers... everything aside from a breeding pair immediately gets sent to the butcher's.

In the next release, I'm going to be a bit more careful with my dogs too. Nothing beats a pack of red-furred warhounds rushing down towards your enemies. EDIT: Or if red is out (no doubt) it'll be pitch-black hounds.

[Loyal]

The best use for war dogs is to put 'em in cage near the entrance and release them all at once when the enemy gets near. They're bound to do something before being slaughtered.

Aaaanyway. I've been trying the Dig Deeper mod. It's interesting, but the creator obviously hasn't heard of playtesting before. There's so much god damn clutter and extra, unnecessary crap around. For instance, he added something like 50 different instruments and toys (including dozens of different types of "figurines"), each. And if you recall, you can't order a specific type of toy or instrument made; only orders for "toys" and hoping you get the "right" one is permitted. Exactly what am I supposed to do when a noble mandates a specific one of them? It was enough trouble fulfilling their demands when there were only five kinds of toys.

So I'm further modding the raws, pruning out some of the sillier things as I go, and struggling to achieve a happy, balanced Orc nation wherein the defensive options against them aren't limited to (a) creating a long drowning trap or (b) creating a long chasm trap.

Also, I removed the [AQUIFER] tag from every stone and soil type. Life is bliss.

[Sithdarth]

I might actually need upwards of 100 cats, preferably kittens, for my plan. So I'm just gonna keep em all in that pit and hope for an exponential cat growth.

[Loyal]

I think the population caps off at something like 50 per animal type.

[Melfice]

The best use for war dogs is to put 'em in cage near the entrance and release them all at once when the enemy gets near. They're bound to do something before being slaughtered.

Well.
Yes. That.

Ideally, you can also breed for strength, and whatnot, so you can actually create a proper war hound breed. But I don't think that'll be in. So, yeah. War dog rush, indeed.

[Sithdarth]

think the population caps off at something like 50 per animal type.

It actually doesn't have to be all cats but they just seem to breed the fastest. I've got dogs and cows as well if I need em.

[Loyal]

Ideally, you can also breed for strength, and whatnot, so you can actually create a proper war hound breed.I don't think that's actually... in, yet. 'Genetics' in the next version seems to be limited to phenotypes as opposed to actual ability.

It actually doesn't have to be all cats but they just seem to breed the fastest. I've got dogs and cows as well if I need em.Horses are usually my livestock of choice. They breed quickly enough, and often have 3-5 per litter

[Sithdarth]

I don't know the project I have planed just doesn't sound as good with anything other than cats and maybe dogs.

[mauve]

Horses are usually my livestock of choice. They breed quickly enough, and often have 3-5 per litter Whaaaaat? Seriously? Each one gives birth to 3-5 foals per birthing??? What breed of horses live in this game?!? Some kind of Octomom variety? XD

[Melfice]

Whaaaaat? Seriously? Each one gives birth to 3-5 foals per birthing??? What breed of horses live in this game?!? Some kind of Octomom variety? XD

A wizard did it. Or, more accurately, a Toad did it ;)

And Loyal, I know that "actual" breeding isn't it (yet).
Guess I should have made it clear it was more of a wish than a musing.

[Wigmund]

The best use for war dogs is to put 'em in cage near the entrance and release them all at once when the enemy gets near. They're bound to do something before being slaughtered.

I'm trying to do this with War Macaques, I added the [TRAINABLE] tag to most of the Pets and Exotic Pets so I can also have War Dragons, War Hippos, and Wariphants.

[Sithdarth]

So uh somehow someone besides the person that had been designated mayor since I embarked won the electron. That was a pain in the but. Then about a season later the new mayors brother threw himself into the well and drowned. I have no idea what the hell is going on in this new fortress.